Method for cutting hexagonal blanks



Ing- 1 E5.

H. zlMMr-:RMAN

Filed sept, 25, 1930 I I I v k l I i I r I I I F w i\\ I I I 1I I I -I l I l" l I l? -lnUEl-lnry Marg 'Zimmerman METHOD FOR CUTTING HEXAGONAL BLANKS l l l March '15, 1932.

Patented Mar. 15, 1932 HARRY ZIMMERMAN, F TORONTQONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO 'BEULAHfBELIE ZIMMERMAN, OF TORONTOVONTAR-IO, CANADA METHOD FOR CUTTING HEXAGONAL BLA'NKS Appiieatien mea september 25, 1930. serieu Ne. 454,460.

My invention relates to improvements in methods for cutting hexagonal blanks from such hexagonal blanks lengths of fabric, being used in the manufacture of fabric buffs, and the object of my invention is to devise a method for cutting hexagonal blanks from lengths of fabric in such a manner as to f entirely eliminate fabric Waste.

In the manufacture of buffs, hexagonal blanks of a suitable size are first cut` from the length of fabric, after which such blanks are placed together, sewn and cut into. rounded form. The blanks are cut in hexagonal form for the reason that it is much more simple to cut a straight sided figure from the fabric than a rounded blank, and also as is well known hexagonal gures of equal size fit together in the same number, ina given area, as circles having their diameters equal to the distances between the sides of the hexagonal figures.

I-Ieretofore hexagonal blanks for the purpose hereinbefore explained were cut from fabric lengths in such a manner that there was a considerable wastage of material, in

other words if the manufacturer was usingV fabric lengths of a given width to cut hexagonal blanks therefrom of a. certain size wherein there was no wastage of fabric, as

soon as the hexagonal blanks were altered in size to meet other requirements a wastage of fabric immediately occured.

In my present invention Iehave devised a method for cutting a plurality of hexagonal blanks of dierent sizes from fabric lengths of a standard width, and my invention consists of such a method all as hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 illustrate the various ways blanks have been heretofore cut from fabriclengths in which a waste of fabric responding parts in thefdilferent views.

The strips of material illustrated in the drawings are of the `same width, for example, 40 inches, q 1, 2 and 6 various methods of cutting 14V inch hexagonal blanks from such astrip is shown.

'Ihe forms illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 show the arrangement ofblanks as set out priorto my invention. In Fig. 1 wherein the'sides of the hexagonal blanks lie parallel to the `edges of the fabric strip, the strip is not wide eno-ugh to permit the space of three blanks 1 in a row, and is too wide for two andonehalf blanks 1 in a row, so consequently with this Vmethod of cutting awaste marginal Vedge 2 is left in the length. In Fig. 2 the sides of the hexagonal blanks lie transversely offthe length of fabric and in this case the same cutting loss occurs in the marginal edge 3 which is not quite as wide y as the waste piece 2, so therefore the method of cutting as illustrated in Fig. 2 was less wasteful than the method of cutting illustrated in Fig. 1.

In my method of cutting as illustrated in .Fig 6,I form the blanks in, as it were, two

complementary portions .A and B, themportion A being for example 28 inches wide or the width of twoV 141 inch hexagonal blanks 1, which leaves the strip B 12 inches wide. rlhis strip can then -be cut as illustrated into a plurality of'14 inch Vsemi-hexagonal blanks 1a. When the semi-blanks are cut in this form their sides lie transversely of they sheet of fabric or at right angles to the edges thereof, the sides of the strip B extending through what would be the center .of the complete hexagons and rforming the sides ofsuch semi-hexagon blanks. The ,stript B *isV 12 inches wide and as such can 4accommodate the half portions without any wasteY of material. When the blanks are cut a pair of half portions or semi-blanks 1a are used t0 form ay complete hexagonal blank.

The fabric strips illustrated in Figs. 3,V 4 and 5 illustrate the same width of material being used for the production of 15 inch hexagonal blanks, and Fig. 4 shows such blanks cut from the fabric in the same formation as illustrated in Fig.f.1, whilst Fig. 3 illustrates the blanks cutfrom thefabric in the same formation as Fig. 2. fr.In both these cases however' there are wastemarginal edge pieces 5 Aand 6, the waste piece shown in Fig. 3

and as illustrated in Figs.

being comparatively narrower, but however, amounting to a considerable loss 1n the cutting of a large number of blanks.

In a 40 inch width of material it is impossible to so cut 15 inch blanks that there is no wastage,` the blanks being cut complete or in the form of semi-blanks- I therefore :gdvide the length of fabric into two comple# mentary portions C and D, the strip C being 26 inches wide to receive they complete blanks 7 and semi-blanks 7a, this leaves the strip C 14 inches wide, or just wide enough to receive a set of complete and semi-14 inch blanks 8 and 8a. It will therefore be seen that I have completely utilized material of a4() inch width in making aL maj or number of 15 inch k'lolanks as required together with a number of 14 inch blanks which are a standard size and always find a ready market.v

In laying out blanks upon lengths of fabric f in accordance with my invention and as illustrated in Figs. 5` and 6, I have found that in commencing the 'blanks at the ends 9 of the material, so that such ends 9 extend through the centers of the blanks that the blanks in the strips B and D will when carried down the strips reach a point wherein a transverse line will extend exactly through the centers of the blanks in both portions, that is in Fig. 5 through the portions C and D and in lFig. 6throughV the portions A and B. It

will therefore be seen that when the fabric is cutoff at this point lthat there will be no odd waste pieces of material left.

It will be understood that in cutting blanks the length of fabric is lapped to and fro upon itself so that it comprises fifty or more thicknesses,the length of such laps in the use of my invention are of course made equal to the distances in which no waste of fabric occurs in the length. It will be therefore apparent that in regard to the quarter blanks 10 and 11 illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 that as such quarter blanks are at the folded ends that they will when unfolded be the joined quarter blanks of two adjacent folds, or in other words eachj upper andv lower quarter are joined together and comprises a half blank.

so positioned that the slits extend around` the post, and in this manner the semi-blanksV are of course readily centered. f

The complete hexagonal blanks as illustrated inv Figs. l5 and 6 are also furnished with central slits ororiiices 14 into which the post is inserted in the centering process, it being of course understood that a combination of whole blanks and semi-blanks are generally used. When a sufficient number of blank Y plies are placed in position, they are sewn,

Asaving as huge quantities of wasted fabric are thrown away or only usedfor waste. By my invention I have devised a method for cutting Astandard size buff blanks from fabric strips `of standard width without waste which will permit the manufacturer to keep only one standard width of fabric in stock and from which he can fill orders for buffs of different sizes without a waste or the purchase or manufacture of fabric of the width to suit the sizeof hexagonal blanks he wishes to cut.

l/Vhat I claim as my invention is:

1. A method for cutting a plurality of equal hexagonal and semi-hexagonal blanks from a strip of material of a width unequal to any multiple of the distances between the parallel sides of the hexagonal blanks, whereby the strip of material is utilizedcompletely across its width comprising the formation of the strip of material into two complementary portions, one portion containing blanks having their sidesextending parallel to the sides of the strip and the other portion containing blanks having their sides extending at right angles to thesides-of the strip. f

2. A method for cutting a plurality of equal hexagonalV and semi-hexagonal blanks from a strip of material of a width unequal to any multiple of the distances between the parallel sides of the hexagonal blanks, whereby the strip of material is utilized .completely across its width, comprising the formation of the stripy of material into two complementary portions, one portion being of less width than the other, the wider portion containingcomplete blanks and semi-blanks, and the narrower portion containing semi-blanks. Y

3. A method for cutting a pluralityof 14 inch hexagonal blanks from a strip of material 40 inches wide comprising the Vformation of the strip of material into two complemens `tary portions, one portion 28 inches wide and the other 12 inches wide, the 28 inch portion containing hexagonal blanksy having their sides extending .parallel toa-nd forming part of the sides of the portion, and the 12 inch portion containing semi-hexagonalblanks having their sides extending atright'angles to the sides of the portion.

' 4. A method for cutting ,a plurality of equal hexagonal and semi-hexagonal blanks from a strip of material of a width unequal to any multiple of the distances between the parallel sides of the hexagonal blanks, Whereby the strip of material is utilized completely across its Width comprising the formation of the strip of material into two complementary portions, one portion containing blanks having their sides extending parallel to the sides of the strip and the other portion containing blanks having their sides extending at right angles to the sides of the strip, the free end of the strip of material being at right angles to the sides thereof, positioning the blanks in such relation to the end of the strip that such free end passes through the center points of the blanks, continuing the blanks down the portions of the strip until the center points of the blanks again lie in a straight line extending at right angles to the-sides of the strip, and Jforming the other end of the strip along this line. Y

HARRY ZIMLIERMAN. 

